Hello

Vibe Israel is a not-for-profit organization connecting Millennials positively with Israel and inspiring them to share Israel’s story. We’re here to create a new conversation, a conversation about Israel’s creative energy.

By harnessing the power of social media and digital place-marketing strategies, we’re reaching audiences that no-one else is tapping into and changing the conversation about Israel – one influencer at a time!

BETTER FOR YOUBetter for Israel

In today’s competitive world, to increase tourism, inward investment and exports, countries invest huge resources in marketing their competitive advantages to the world.

Yet Israel is not like most countries. It is embroiled in a long-lasting conflict with its neighbors that few truly know how it started, and no-one can tell how or when it’s going to end. Under these impossible conditions, for decades Israeli governments and pro-Israel advocacy organizations have focused their efforts on explaining and justifying Israel’s policies in the face of enormous criticism, which has left little if any resources remaining to do anything else.

We think this has to stop. Recognizing that Israel is in a unique and challenging situation, we view Israel as a country, not a conflict. And as such, we believe that Israel needs to spend at least as much time marketing its competitive advantages as it does “explaining” its policies.

Why does marketing Israel matter? Because what Israel needs right now is to build relationships, not just to win a debate. Experience shows that once people around the world connect with Israel – through business, culture, or by actually visiting Israel and seeing it for themselves – their perceptions change and Israel’s image improves dramatically.

See for Yourself!

The Team

Joanna Landau

Founder & CEO

Joanna Landau was born in London and moved to Israel with her family when she was 5 years old. She returned briefly to the UK for high school at the Jewish boarding school Carmel College. After serving in the IDF as a paramedic, she read law at Cambridge University where she gained BA and MA degrees. Joanna also holds an MBA, cum laude, from the Herzlia Interdisciplinary Center in Israel. Joanna worked as a lawyer in the high-tech industry and established two Internet start-ups based in Tel Aviv. In 2009, Joanna founded Vibe Israel, to change the way people think and feel about Israel, and has been leading it ever since. In 2016 Vibe Israel was a finalist in a prestigious international competition by City Nation Place, the global forum of place branding experts, for the Best Use of Social Media in Place Branding Award.

Joanna is a governor of Tel Aviv University, a member of the International Education Committee of Taglit-Birthright, and a board member of the Brand Israel Group in New York. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Rappaport Prize for a Change Making Woman, and in 2016 she won the popular vote for the most influential woman in management and business, recognized by Saloona, Israel's leading women's online magazine. In 2017, Joanna was listed by Forbes Israel as one of the fifty most influential women in Israel.
She lives in Tel-Aviv with her husband and three children.

Adva holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Ariel University. After university, Adva worked as an editor for Israel's Television, Channel 2 (Reshet) on different talk shows. Before joining the Vibe Israel team, she spent a year abroad as project manager for Israel programs at Arizona State University in Phoenix.

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Tamar grew up knowing she will be a singer. But after graduating from Rimon School of Music she changed course, worked for two years as an accounts manager and producer in advertising companies, before joining Vibe Israel as a tour Manager, full of energy and ideas.
In addition she is now working on her bachelors’ degree in Communication and History at the Open University.
In her free time she enjoys Jazz singing and walking her dog Bambi.

Mayrav holds an LLB from Tel Aviv University, and after her studies she worked as a corporate attorney, specializing in high-tech, M&A and capital markets. Mayrav’s adventurous spirit urged her to change course and off she went! Today, she is studying for her Master’s Degree in inter-religious studies at Tel Aviv University and joined the Vibe Israel team as our Operations Manager for the VibeTours program.

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Roni is a true Israel lover and an avid contributor in promoting tourism to her native country. Roni was the Director of Special Projects and led the marketing and US tourism trade shows at the Israel Ministry of Tourism in New York.
She established and managed Galerie Parisienne, a unique Tel Aviv based retail boutique of collectible French vintage and fashion items that she personally curated and handpicked in Paris. Roni holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Television from Tel Aviv University and was an Israeli and foreign film producer for several years. She loves classical music, hikes and good conversations around a fire camp in the Judean desert.

The Team

Julia Ben Shalom

Director of US Operations & Global Development

Julia began her career in philanthropy when she founded "Women in International Security Israel" (WIIS Israel) where she now serves as the Chairwoman. Before entering the world of philanthropy, Julia worked as an analyst for the International Institute of Counter Terrorism at the IDC Herzliya. She holds an MA from the IDC Herzliya in Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security with honors, and a BA from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Diplomacy in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies, also with honors.

Even after living in Tel Aviv (and LOVING it) for almost eight years, Einav still considers herself a Jerusalemite. She holds a BA in Behavioral Sciences from the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and is about to complete her MBA at Tel-Aviv University. Just before joining the Vibe Israel team, Einav spent five months in Milan as part of a student exchange program. She's passionate about food and loves to spend time at the beach.

Originally from New York City, Jannah received her BA from New York University in Writing for New Media and studied abroad in Florence and Prague. For three years she worked in fashion events in NYC, but after going on a spontaneous adventure to Israel and meeting the Vibe Israel team, she knew she had to stay in Tel Aviv. The three things she can’t live without are travel, dance and good (spicy) food. By night, Jannah is also a classically trained Pilates instructor!

With a Chinese mother and a Jewish father, Maya grew up in the best of both worlds in New Jersey. She then went on to graduate with a B.A. in Communications and English studies from the University of Rhode Island. It was there she got to study abroad in Fiji and work abroad in Israel which gave her such a deep appreciation for travel. For the past 5 years, she has been working in the field of fundraising and development. It wasn’t until she found Vibe Israel, she knew she had finally found an organization that encapsulated everything she has ever loved about traveling and Israel. She now resides in the New York office and continues to help Vibe Israel grow through our Young Leadership program.

Tamara is an established multidisciplinary fashion professional with product design background and over a decade of experience in the fashion industry. She is currently based in Tel Aviv and writes a culture and fashion column for Calcalist, a daily newspaper. In addition, she is social media manager for several brands, including Vibe Israel.

The Team

Joanna Landau

Founder & CEO

Joanna Landau was born in London and moved to Israel with her family when she was 5 years old. She returned briefly to the UK for high school at the Jewish boarding school Carmel College. After serving in the IDF as a paramedic, she read law at Cambridge University where she gained BA and MA degrees. Joanna also holds an MBA, cum laude, from the Herzlia Interdisciplinary Center in Israel. Joanna worked as a lawyer in the high-tech industry and established two Internet start-ups based in Tel Aviv. In 2009, Joanna founded Vibe Israel, to change the way people think and feel about Israel, and has been leading it ever since. In 2016 Vibe Israel was a finalist in a prestigious international competition by City Nation Place, the global forum of place branding experts, for the Best Use of Social Media in Place Branding Award.

Joanna is a governor of Tel Aviv University, a member of the International Education Committee of Taglit-Birthright, and a board member of the Brand Israel Group in New York. In 2015 she was shortlisted for the Rappaport Prize for a Change Making Woman, and in 2016 she won the popular vote for the most influential woman in management and business, recognized by Saloona, Israel's leading women's online magazine. In 2017, Joanna was listed by Forbes Israel as one of the fifty most influential women in Israel.
She lives in Tel-Aviv with her husband and three children.

Julia began her career in philanthropy when she founded "Women in International Security Israel" (WIIS Israel) where she now serves as the Chairwoman. Before entering the world of philanthropy, Julia worked as an analyst for the International Institute of Counter Terrorism at the IDC Herzliya. She holds an MA from the IDC Herzliya in Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security with honors, and a BA from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Diplomacy in International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies, also with honors.

Adva holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Ariel University. After university, Adva worked as an editor for Israel's Television, Channel 2 (Reshet) on different talk shows. Before joining the Vibe Israel team, she spent a year abroad as project manager for Israel programs at Arizona State University in Phoenix.

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Tamar grew up knowing she will be a singer. But after graduating from Rimon School of Music she changed course, worked for two years as an accounts manager and producer in advertising companies, before joining Vibe Israel as a tour Manager, full of energy and ideas.
In addition she is now working on her bachelors’ degree in Communication and History at the Open University.
In her free time she enjoys Jazz singing and walking her dog Bambi.

Even after living in Tel Aviv (and LOVING it) for almost eight years, Einav still considers herself a Jerusalemite. She holds a BA in Behavioral Sciences from the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and is about to complete her MBA at Tel-Aviv University. Just before joining the Vibe Israel team, Einav spent five months in Milan as part of a student exchange program. She's passionate about food and loves to spend time at the beach.

Mayrav holds an LLB from Tel Aviv University, and after her studies she worked as a corporate attorney, specializing in high-tech, M&A and capital markets. Mayrav’s adventurous spirit urged her to change course and off she went! Today, she is studying for her Master’s Degree in inter-religious studies at Tel Aviv University and joined the Vibe Israel team as our Operations Manager for the VibeTours program.

Originally from New York City, Jannah received her BA from New York University in Writing for New Media and studied abroad in Florence and Prague. For three years she worked in fashion events in NYC, but after going on a spontaneous adventure to Israel and meeting the Vibe Israel team, she knew she had to stay in Tel Aviv. The three things she can’t live without are travel, dance and good (spicy) food. By night, Jannah is also a classically trained Pilates instructor!

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Roni is a true Israel lover and an avid contributor in promoting tourism to her native country. Roni was the Director of Special Projects and led the marketing and US tourism trade shows at the Israel Ministry of Tourism in New York.
She established and managed Galerie Parisienne, a unique Tel Aviv based retail boutique of collectible French vintage and fashion items that she personally curated and handpicked in Paris. Roni holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Television from Tel Aviv University and was an Israeli and foreign film producer for several years. She loves classical music, hikes and good conversations around a fire camp in the Judean desert.

With a Chinese mother and a Jewish father, Maya grew up in the best of both worlds in New Jersey. She then went on to graduate with a B.A. in Communications and English studies from the University of Rhode Island. It was there she got to study abroad in Fiji and work abroad in Israel which gave her such a deep appreciation for travel. For the past 5 years, she has been working in the field of fundraising and development. It wasn’t until she found Vibe Israel, she knew she had finally found an organization that encapsulated everything she has ever loved about traveling and Israel. She now resides in the New York office and continues to help Vibe Israel grow through our Young Leadership program.

Tamara is an established multidisciplinary fashion professional with product design background and over a decade of experience in the fashion industry. She is currently based in Tel Aviv and writes a culture and fashion column for Calcalist, a daily newspaper. In addition, she is social media manager for several brands, including Vibe Israel.